1. Field of the Invention
The invention is directed to molded fixtures and, more particularly, molded fixtures that are adaptable for specific users such as physically disabled or aged users.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various types and styles of sinks, showers and bathtubs and other bathroom fixtures have been developed over the years. Generally, such fixtures are formed of rigid materials such as cast iron, stainless steel, or fiber-reinforced plastic. Typically, these materials are shaped into a continuous, monolithic body such that they are rigid enough to support a given weight and remain watertight over many years of use. However, the same rigid, monolithic characteristics of such conventional fixtures also tend to make them difficult to modify to meet special applications such as occasional or episodic use by physically disabled or aged users.
More recently, a need for efficient, flexible usage of bathroom fixtures has been compounded by a need to meet certain legal requirements pertaining to physically disabled persons. This has increased the demand for shower stalls and other bathroom fixtures that can be easily modified to meet the varying needs of diverse users.
For example, conventional showers have a permanent curb or barrier that extends completely around the base of the shower. In this way, water from the shower nozzle is collected and retained in the shower pan until it is discharged through the drain. Examples of such conventional construction are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,757,385; 3,363,267; 3,606,617; 3,800,335; and 4,557,004. This construction has worked well in many applications. Ingress and egress to the shower is normally had merely by stepping over the curb. However, when the user is physically disabled, such as when requiring the use of a wheel chair, the curb operates as a barrier to the user.
In response to this difficulty, special shower designs have incorporated permanent ramps and various types of other structures instead of a conventional curb. In this way, wheelchair-bound users can easily gain access to the shower and the barrier for a physically disabled person is removed. Unfortunately, such ramps or other structures generally do not provide a water barrier that is as effective as the conventional curbs. Therefore, it would be preferred to make ramps and other access structures available, but only at times when those structures are useful in serving the needs of the individual user. At other times it would be preferable to have a more effective water barrier present.
Such adaptability of the shower structure is generally limited by the materials and design of the shower. As previously mentioned, showers are frequently constructed of a unitary or monolithic body of molded plastic or other material that provides a dense, continuous, waterproof surface for containing and channeling water. In some cases modular shower units such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,423,528 have been developed. In these examples, the shower is comprised of an assemblage of components that fit together to form a body. However, such modular units generally require special measures to assure that the components fit together permanently in a watertight manner. Such modular units are not readily adaptable to meet the convenience or needs of particular users. In particular, such units have incorporated either the curb-style or ramp-style design and one design is not easily modified to the other.
Accordingly, there was a need in the prior art for a fixture that was readily convertible between the ramp-style design and the curb-style design. Such a convertible fixture would not only have immediate and significant advantages for the user, but would be advantageous in other respects as well. For example, where such convertible showers were installed in hotels or nursing homes, they would not only meet the individual needs of particular guests and patients, they would also tend to maximize use of the facility in conformance with applicable government standards, such as those pertaining to physical disabilities.